Chap. 16 Religion and Science (461-477)

     Chapter 16 begins with the spread of Christianity and other religions throughout Europe. As more and more people begin to convert to Christianity we see a major decrease in many religions already practiced in Europe but a huge increase in other new religions because of the amount of people beginning to arrive in Europe. What caught my attention was the impact Christianity not only  had on Europe as a country but every individual person as well. It became so popular the people were forced to chose a religion at times. There were not very many people that did not live without some sort of faith in religion. This ultimately gave many people the opportunity to have freedom freedom of speech and stand up for what they believed in.

Chapter 15 pg. 449-458

Reading the second half to this chapter I found it difficult and upsetting to continue reading. Reminders of the past about how slavery was so "normal" and almost everywhere makes me so grateful that times have changed. What really caught my attention was the illustration on page 451. How did all of the captured Africans fit below the deck of a ship? This made me wonder what would happen if someone got sick or what if someone had a disease, what would/ could they do? They are stuck at the bottom of a ship sailing across water. But by the illustration it looks like everyone is getting along and talking and just getting to know one another. Forming bonds between each other could have brought hope and faith to each individual slave in that one day things will change.

Chapter 15

The picture at the bottom of page 448 I found interesting and caught my attention. It is a picture of Russian men in line paying tax (by tribute or fur) to the Russian ambassador. I noticed that they were all wearing hats ... and I also noticed that the ones near the left (the front of the line) seem to be just paying in money but as you get further along the line you see that it is tribute and then paying in fur. Did the artist do this on purpose? What does this signify?

Wiesner, “Sweet Nexus: Sugar and the Origins of the Modern World”

It made me angry reading the words "Black labor, white sugar". Once again, this became another reason for the whites to show and prove why slavery is the right thing. Sugar to the African-American laborers was not only another excuse for segregation but now another reason to survive. If the black laborers were not present in trading and working to receive and give sugar as part of their jobs, it would not have spread as fast or even at all. We should be thanking them for the hard work they did.

Chap. 14 pg. 417-430

I found this section of the reading to be pretty boring. The only part I took interest in was how much of an impact the European empires not only had on the people but the world as a whole itself. Without them,(European empires) we would not have progressed to where we are today from a cultural and religious standpoint or at least we would have not progressed as quickly.